Parkersburg police said a mother and stepfather are charged after their son, who has a genetic disability, was tied up in a metal cage, starved and sprayed in the face and genital area with cleaning chemicals.

Herbert M. Boyles 39, and Christina M. Boyles, 40, were arrested Tuesday and charged with abuse or neglect of an incapacitated adult, according to criminal complaints filed in Wood County Magistrate Court.

Police said they responded June 3 to a residence in the 500 block of 32nd Street to start an investigation from a neglect complaint involving an adult male who was incapacitated. The complaint said officers arrived and found a 21-year-old male who was malnourished and had several wounds from ligatures that were used to restrain him.

Further investigation revealed that the victim, who is unable to communicate due to a genetic disability, had been the victim of severe neglect from his mother and stepdad, police said. The criminal complaint said emergency room staff discovered the victim had several cysts on his pelvic region, possibly due to lying on a hard surface for an extended time. Medical staff also discovered after removing the victim’s diaper that he had open sores on his genitalia.

Detectives conducted interviews with family members who said that the mother and stepfather were observed hitting and kicking the victim on different occasions, police said. The victim’s brother also was interviewed by the Children’s Listening Place and additional information was identified to aid the investigation. The complaint said the brother reported the mother tied the victim up inside a metal cage and left him inside on several occasions. The mother also starved the victim and sprayed cleaning chemicals in his face and genital area, the complaint said.

The Parkersburg Police contacted the Department of Health and Human Resources and requested assistance from Adult Protective Services after the two adult males were treated for their injuries.

The defendants were arrested Tuesday without incident and taken to Wood County Magistrate Court. Herbert Boyles was arraigned and his bond was set at $60,000. Christina Boyles was arraigned and her bond was set at $20,000. Christina Boyles is currently being held at North Central Regional Jail. There was no listing for Herbert Boyles on the West Virginia Regional Jail website.